New Books Network Dianna N. Watkins-Dickerson, "A Black Woman for President: Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun, and Kamala Harris" (UP of Mississippi)
Feb 4, 2026
Dianna N. Watkins-Dickerson, author and scholar of womanist rhetorical criticism, explores the presidential announcement speeches of Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun, and Kamala Harris. She explains womanist rhetorical theory and its roots in Black church and HBCU spaces. Short, focused analyses trace rhetorical strategies, historical precedents, and the challenges of studying recent campaigns.
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Womanist Rhetoric As Core Lens
- Dianna N. Watkins-Dickerson centers a womanist rhetorical framework to analyze Black women's presidential announcement speeches.
- She argues Black women’s rhetorical patterns arise from lived phenomenological experiences that mainstream theories often miss.
Path From Spelman To Political Rhetoric
- Dianna describes shifting from education to political science at Spelman and later studying divinity and political communication.
- Those personal transitions shaped her interest in Black women's rhetoric across pulpit, pew, and politics.
Pulpit, Pew, And Political Voice
- Watkins-Dickerson locates Black women's rhetorical formation in Black faith institutions, HBCUs, and similar community spaces.
- She stresses those institutions often give Black women their first public voice and networks for political entry.
